Roughly 80 percent of computers sold are laptops. But nearly 90 percent of U.S. homes still have a trusty desktop. So are desktops going the way of the Dodo? According to this report, they may be.
“The desktop is where the family photos are kept, where music lives. It’s more comfortable for older buyers who prefer larger screens and full-size keyboards. Parents like being able to keep tabs on the online activities of young kids. And enthusiasts who edit video or play games get more power per dollar in a desktop…
“The fact remains, laptops continue to gain while desktops continue to age, despite these occasional surges. Nearly half of the Windows desktops found in homes are four years old or older. By comparison, only 18 percent of laptops are less than a year old.”
Read the rest here.
4 Comments
John
Two points: 1) Desktops can be upgraded while most laptops cannot. My desktop is technically 7 years old. It has a new motherboard, chipset, memory, graphics card, hard drive and DVR/W, but I never purchased a new desktop.
2) There are a lot of new segment busters out there, from the all-in-one desktops and touch screen pcs to ipads and smartphones.
That being said, my macbook is like a mobile desktop – when I plop it on my desk and plug it into my 1TB external and HDTV output, it might as well be a desktop. I could even get a wireless keyboard and mouse were I so inclined.
Brian Krieger
I also wonder how much of a factor the Vista, er, problem has stagnated PC sales.
I enjoy having the freedom of a laptop, but goodness the drawbacks are utterly frustrating (which, for me, keeps me festooned with a desktop).
Brian Krieger
I meant to add on to the first sentence.
And conversely, how much will 7 pick up sales (in what might be a temporary manner).
Peter Eddy
“Nearly half of the Windows desktops found in homes are four years old or older. By comparison, only 18 percent of laptops are less than a year old.”
Denny, was this a typo, or did this statistical comparison not really make a meaningful comparison?